FEATURE
2016 PIKES PEAK INTERNATIONAL HILL CLIMB – PART I
P112
so, so enormous, and you are
but a pimple on its ass. And just
as insignificant.
The first tire test, held from
Glen Cove to the finish line at
the summit, freaked me out. It
was a real "I've bitten off more
than I can chew" moment. It
looked nothing like it did on
the screen in the game or the
YouTube clip. Last year's winner,
Jeff Tigert, said this would be
the case. I didn't believe him. He
was right.
I was pleased as punch to see
the end of that day. I survived,
didn't crash, and began to feel
okay about the situation. A bit
more study, a bit more thought,
maybe I could conquer this
mountain.
The second day of tire test-
ing went much better. Held from
the start line to Glen Cove, I set
the fastest time and left Colo-
rado with a newfound belief. I'd
outpaced a bunch of veterans
who'd seen the place many
times, and I now I really did think
I belonged there.
Better still, the KTM felt like
mine again. The Pirelli SC1 slick
tires felt how I knew they should,
the bike handled like it did be-
fore, and I felt in control. To say
that feeling was a relief would be
something of a gigantic under-
statement.
RACE WEEK
Race week started with the
usual administration stuff every
racer goes through—scrutineer-
ing, sign-in, the dos and do-not-
dos of racing. If you're a rookie
like me, you are required to
make the obligatory orientation
lap with your race mentor, which
for me was an absolute pleasure
as I picked the brains of one of
the fastest guys ever to grace
the mountain, Greg Tracy.
His knowledge on the place
is without peer and his method
of imparting it was both easy to
grasp and encouraging. It made
for a great afternoon as he told
me the ins and outs of a place
The final day of official practice before qualifying.
